Kona Lanes, Bowling alley in Costa Mesa, United States.
Kona Lanes was a bowling center at 2699 Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa, California, with 40 wooden lanes, a game room, a lounge called the Outrigger Room, and a coffee shop that later became a Mexican diner. Its Polynesian Tiki styling ran from a large roadside sign to neon lights and exaggerated rooflines.
Kona Lanes opened in 1958 on Harbor Boulevard near Adams Avenue, one of three Googie-style buildings architects Powers, Daly & DeRosa designed around the same time. It operated for 45 years, hosting the Southern California PBA Open twice in 1964, until its demolition in 2003.
The Outrigger Room lounge hosted local acts: jazz quintet The Redd Foxx Bbq recorded four songs there, and Roscoe Holland recorded eight live performances for his album Beyond the Reef. In later years parts of the bowlers' area were taped off for rock concerts and weekend promotions such as Club Crush, popular with teenagers; a planned punk show was shut down by the Costa Mesa Police Department.
Kona Lanes sat on Harbor Boulevard near Adams Avenue in Costa Mesa, on land owned by C.J. Segerstrom & Sons. It stayed open 24 hours a day under manager Dick Stoeffler, and open bowling was often so busy that customers had to reserve a lane in advance. The site was demolished in 2003 and later rezoned for apartments.
The distinctive neon sign featuring Polynesian Tiki design elements was preserved after demolition and now resides at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati. This represents a rare instance of an iconic design element from a vanished venue being saved for history.
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